Signature-stuffing machine



Mar. 3, 1925.

- J. c. THEBERATH SIGNATURE STUFFING magma File d March 30, 1922 8Sheets-Sheet 1 Mar. 3, 1925.

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Mar. 3, 1925.

; J. C. THEBERATH SIGNATURE STUFFING MACHINE Filed March 50, 1922 8Sheets-Sheet 3 Mar. 3, 1925.

J. c. THEBERATH SIGNATURE S TUFFING MACHINE Filed March 30, 1922 IIIlIIIII; V

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Mar. 3. 1925.

J. THEBERATH SIGNATURE STUFFING MACHINE Filed Mafch so, 1922 x 8Sheets-Sheet 5 J. c. THEBERATH smmwmm STUFFING MACHINE Filed March 30-,1922 Mar. 3. 1925.

S SheetS-Sheet 7 Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFlfCE.v

JOSEPH C. TI-IEBERA'II-I, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SIGNATURE-STUFFING MACHINE,

Application filed March 36, 1922. Serial No. 547,962.

hoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Signature-Stuffing Machines, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had tothe'accompanying drawings.

Machines of the class to which my invention relates are used innewspaper oflices and other printing establishments for inserting intoanother one or more sections of a newspaper, or signatures of a book,catalogue or other pamphlet. In newspaper oilices these machines areespecially valuable for assembling the various sections of large Sundayeditions. The sections of the paper come from the presses in foldedcondition, and

before the paper is ready for delivery; one of the sections must haveinserted into it all the other sections. Ord narily this is done by handand several extra employees are required for this work. As they areneeded only a few hours each week, it is quite difficult to always havepersons available for the purpose.

It is the primary object of my invention.

to provide a machine that will perform this service automatically andvery rapidly, for obviously speed is highly essential in a machine ofthis character when one considers the rapidity with which the modernrotary presses, used for printing newspapers, opcrate.

My present invention waspreceded by those relating to the same subjectdisclosed in my earlier Patents Nos. 1,149,546 and 1,393,924, datedAugust 10, 1915, and October '18, 1921, respectively. My new ma chine,however, is entirely different in prin' ciple and mode of operation fromits predecessors and these differences are responsible for its increasedspeed.

Qther objects of the invention are to provide a machine of the aforesaidclass which occupies a comparatively small amount of floor space; whichis so designed as to facilitate feeding it with newspaper sections orsignatures; which operates positively and with accuracy and precision;which is comparatively simple of construction; is very durable; and isnot likely to get out of order; and which requires very little attentionasidefroni keeping it supplied with signatures.

The foregoing objects, with other and more limited ones, are attained inthe embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings accompanyingand forming a part hereof and wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of themachine; Fig; 2 is an elevation of the machine as viewed from the leftof Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the opposite side of themachine from that shown in Fig. 1, the plane of section being indicatedby the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2,looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a sectlonal plan onthe line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a detail, on a somewhat larger scalethan the preceding views, of the spreading mechanism for the receivingsignature; Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional plan views of the mechanismillustrated in Fig. 6, showing the same in its two extreme positions;Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9--9 of Fig. 7; Figs. 10 and 11 (sheets2 and 5 respectively) are details of the mounting through which thesignature feeding rollers are supported so as to yield one with respectto the other; Fig. 12 (Sheet 5) is a detail. of one of the pin wheels bymeans of which the signatures are drawn from the magazines or hoppers;Fig. 13 is a detail of the device for centralizing the receivingsignature with respect to the spreading means therefor; Figs. 14, 15 and16 are sectional views, somewh at diagrannmitic in character,

showing the progressive steps of the signature inserting or stuiiingoperation; and 17 is view, similar to 4, showing the inventionembodiedin what may be termed a multiple machine by means of which severalsignatures may be simultaneously; inserted into a receiving signature.

The frame of the machine is constructed of side plates 1 and 2 that areconnected together and spaced apart by cross members 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and8, the last mentioned cross member constituting a shelf which supportsan electric motor 10 that drives, through. a pinion 11, secured to itsshaft 12, and through a gear 13 wherewith the pinion meshes, a shaft 14,journaled in the side plates land 2, the ends of the shaft 14 projecting a suitable distance beyond the side plates. In the presentconstruction, there fore, the shaft 14 is the driving shaft of themachine, and obviously the same may be rotated by any suitable and wellknown means in place of the motor 10.

Inclined downwardly and inwardly from the respective cross members 3 and1, and extending from one side plate to the other, are signaturesupporting plates and 16 which, with vertical plates 17 and 18constitute hoppers or magazines A and B. The body portions of the plates15 and 16 terminate adjacent the lower edges of the re spective plates17 and 18, but extending therefrom are tongues 20 and 21 that ap proacheach other quite closely and extend for some distance downwardly inparallel relationto each other between the upper edges of a fixed wall22, and a movable wall 23, of an assembling pocket C. lhe former wallmay be secured in any suitable manner to the side plates 1 and 2, whilethe latter wall has a pair of slides 21 at each end which reciprocatebetween guides 25 on the side plates. Springs 26, having one of theirends connected to the movable wall 23 and their other ends anchored at27 to the adjacent side plates, serve to retract the wall and tend tohold it in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The bottom of theassembling pocket is formed by a door 30 which is secured to a rockshaft 31. journaled at its ends inthe side plates 1 and 2 and shown asprojecting beyond the former plate where it has fastened to it an arm32, the free end of which is connected by a link 3 1 with one end of alever 35, pivoted at 36 to the side plate 1, and having, at its otherend, a pin or roller 37 which projects into a groove 38 of a cam 39,secured to the driving shaft 14. An elongated vertically disposedopening 10 is formed in the side plate 2 in register with the assemblingpocket C and extending laterally from said side plate near the upper endof the opening 40 is a track 11 composed of slotted rails 12 and 4-3that are spaced a suitable distance apart and are parallel with eachother. The outer ends of the rails are connected together by a crossbeam d5, which supports a sheave 46. and diagonal braces 1 extendbetween the outer nude 0,. the rails and the lower portion of the sideplate, the braces being shown as incorporating brackets 48 bv andbetween the outer ends of which a shaft 50 is supported that carries acam 51. A sprocket wheel 52 is secured to the shaft 50, and an endlesschain 53, which extends about the sprocket wheel is engaged over asprocket wheel 54: that is fixed to a shaft 55, journaled in brackets 56that extend from the side nlate 2. The end of the shaft oppositethatcarrying the sprocket wheel 54 has secured to it a beveled pinion 58which meshes with a similar pinion 59 that is fastened to the end of thedriving shaft 1 1 where it projects beyond the plate 2.

A carriage 60, comprising side members 61 and 62 that are connectedtogether at one end by a bar 63, has rollers 64 at its corners whichengage within the slots of the rails 42 and 43 and is thus adapted totravel along the track 41. A sleeve 65 has its ends supported within theside members 61 and 62 and is held therein against endwise move ment bycollars 66. A rod 67 slides within the sleeve and has its outer endpivoted to a lever 68 that is fulcrunied at 69 to a bracket 70 thatextends from the side member 61 of the carriage through the slot ofthe'adjacent rail Pinned, as by a set screw 72, to the sleeve 05, is adisk 73 that has fixed to it the sections and 75 of a composite bladedesignated generally 76 and which I shall refer to as the signaturespreading means. The sections 74: and 75 are secured to the disk 7 3 insuch manner as to be always maintained in parallelism and in the sameplane and spaced apart a sufficient distance to receive between them ablade section 7'? which is secured to a plate 73 that is slidable on thesleeve 65 between flanges 79 that extend laterally from the disk 7 3. Apin 80 eiztends through the hub 81 of the plate 78, through slots 82 ofthe sleeve 65, and through the rod 67. This se cures the plate 78 to therod 6}" while permitting it to slide along the sleeve 65. The assemblycomprising the disk 73, plate 76 and blade 76, with the sleeve 65where'on said parts are mounted, is required to rock with respect to thecarriage, as will be presently seen; and to this end the rod 67 isswiveled to the lever 68 by having its outer threaded end extendedthrough an aperture in the lever and a substantially semispherical nutapplied to the rod on each side of the lever.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, 85 is a lever that is pivotally supported at86 by the side plate 2 somewhat below the lower ones of the braces 47and between the vertical planes thereof, and at its upper end engagesrearwardly of the sleeve 65 of the carriage 60. The lever 85 is in thepath of the cam 51 so that when the cam rotates it will swing the lever85 toward the side plate 2 and advances the carriage 60 along the track71, projecting the blade 76 into the assembling pocket C. The blade willtravel substantially the-full'length of the pocket at the angle shown inFig. 2 and, in full lines, in Fig. 6. Just as the carriage 66 reachesthe inner end of its travel, a lug 90, on the disk 73, will engage astop 91 that extends from the side plate 2, causing the disk to heoscillated through an angle sufficient to bring the. blade '?6 to asubstantially horizontal position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.6. iVhile this is going on, a pin or roller 93, which rises from thefree end of the lever 68, transverses a cam slot 9-1: in a plate 95 thatis supported adjacent the inner end of the rail 42 of. the track 4C1. Byreason of the inclination of the cam slot 94, the lever 68 is swunginward to project the rod 67 further into the sleeve 65, and as aconsequence of this, the plate 78, by reason of its connection with therod through the pin 80, will be slid along the sleeve 65 and carry withit the blade section 77, thus spreading the blade sections for a purposewhich I shall presently explain.

Adjacent to and on the outer side of the movable wall 23 of theassembling pocket C there is journaled within the side plates 1 and 2 ashaft 96 which carries cams 97 that engage bearing blocks 98 at the endsof the wall 23, as clearly seen from Figs. 2, a and 5. The shaft 96 isdriven from shaft 14: by a chain 100 that is engaged over the sprocketwheels 101 and 102 on the respective shafts 96 and 1 1.

Where the shaft 96 extends beyond the side p1ate2 it carries a sprocketwheel 103 which drives a chain 104 engaged over a similar wheel 105 onthe end of a shaft 106 that is journaled in the side plates 1 and 2. Theshaft 106 carries cams 107 whereon arms 108 rest that are looselymounted upon a shaft 109, the arms at their free ends having journaledin them a shaft 110 to which is secured pin wheels 111, one of which isshown in detail in Fig. 12 (sheet 5). The pins of the Wheels 111 areadapted to be projected through slots near the ends of plate 15 when thearms 18 are elevated by the cams 107.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4c, and as indicated by dotted lines inFig. 1, achain 115 is engaged about sprocket wheels 116 and 117 on the respectiveshafts 109 and 110, and the shaft 109, in turn, is driven atcomparatively high rate of speed, from the shaft 14, by a chain 118 thatis engaged about a sprocket pinion 119 on the shaft 109 and a sprocketgear 120 secured to the end of shaft 1 1, where said shafts projectbeyond the side plate 1.

The mechanism which I have just described is that for initiating thefeed of signatures from magazine A. This mechanism is duplicated inconnection with magazine B and, inasmuch as the parts of the twomechanisms are substantially identical, 1

have designated the corresponding parts of the two mechanisms by thesame reference numerals, augmenting those associated with magazine B bythe exponent a. Shaft 106 is driven from shaft 106 by a chain 122 thatis engaged over sprockets 123 and 124; on the ends of the respectiveshafts where they e tend beyond the side plate 2. The shaft 109 isdriven from shaft 109 through the medium of a transverse shaft 125 thatjournaled in brackets 126 carried by the outer side of the plate 2 andequipped at its ends with beveled pinions 127 that mesh with similarpinions 128 and 129 on the re spective shafts 109 and 109*.

Extending across the machine in operative relation to each other andimmediately above the assembling pocket C are feed rollers 130 and 131.These rollers preferably have knurled portions, as will be seen fromFig. 2, so as to better grip the signatures or paper. The ends of theshaft or trunnions of roller 130 are journaled in the side plates 1 and2, and beyond said plates have secured to them the spur gears 133. Thesespur gears mesh with similar gears 134 that are fixed to the ends of theshaft or trunnions of roller 131 and said ends or trunnions projectthrough slots 135 in the side plates and are ournaled in bearing blocks136 that are shown as slidable within the guiding re=- cesses 137 in theside plates, springs 138 be ing interposed between said blocks andopposed walls of the guiding recesses for urging the roller 131 towardroller 130. A plate 140 closes the outer side of each of the recesses137 and has a slot 141 corresponding toand aligning with the slot'135 ofthe adjacent side plate.

Adjust-ably supported in properly spaced relation by lugs 145 thatextend from the side plate 2 on opposite sides of the opening 40adjacent the lower end thereof are guide plates 1416 between which thefree end of the blade 76 reposes when in normal position. Immediatelyinside the plate 2, a positioning shoe 148 is supported by a plunger 149that is reciprocable within a sleeve 150 carried by the movable Wall 23of the assembling pocket C (see Fig. 13). A spring 151 is compressedbetween a plug 152 that closes the outer end of the sleeve 150 and acollar 153 that is secured to the plunger 14H". This spring tends tomaintain the positioning shoe 1 18 in its extended position.

Projecting into each end of the assembling pocket through apertures inthe wall 22 are justifying fingers 155 that are pivoted at their outerends on pins 156 carried by ears 157 which extend inwardly from the sideplates 1 and 2. The fingers are shown as guided on studs 160 whichproject inwardly from the side plates through apertures in the fingersand have nuts 161 -applied to their threaded inner ends. Springs 162 arecompressed between the nuts 161.

is engaged over the sprocket pinions 169 and 170 on the respectiveshafts 106 and 163. From the same view it will be observed that drivingconnections are established between shaft 109 and the end of the shaftor trunnion of roller 130, where it projects beyond the side plate 1,through a chain 172 that is engaged over a sprocket wheel 173 on theshaft 109 and a similar wheel 17% on said shaft end or trunnion of theroller.

Operating within the lower portion of the machine beneath the assemblingpocket C is a conveyor belt or apron 180 that is guided over a drum 181supported on a shaft 182 that is journaled in the side plates 1 and Theapron may be driven by any suitable means in the direction indicated bythe arrows in Figs. 1 and i.

When the machine is in operation, the magazines A and B are keptsupplied with signatures, and at a given point in the cycle ofoperation, the cams 107 lift the arms 108 to raise the constantlyrotating pin wheels 111 so as to engage them through the slots in plate15 with the lowermost signature in the magazine A. This will immediatelystart the lowermost signature toward the assembling pocket C, thetongues 20 yielding slightly to permit the witl'idrawal of the signaturefrom beneath the lower edge of.

the plate 17. Before the signature has been freed from the pin wheel 111it is picker up by the positively and constantly driven feed rolls 130and lowered thereby into the pocket C. At this time the wall 23 is inits retracted position and the blade 76 is in normal position, asillustrated in 2. 1mmediately after the signature has been depositedwithin the assembling pocket, how ever, the wall 23 advances, throughthe ac tion of the cams 97, toward the fixed wall 22 to hold thesignature in an upright position, it being slightly compressed by theshoe adjacent its folded edge where it rests upon the door 30. As soonas the signature is dcposited within the pocket C, cam 51 swings thelever in a direction to advance the carriage (30 and project the blade76 into the fold of the signature.

Vhen the blade is fully inserted, the projection 90 will engage the stop91 and oscillate the disk 73 to lift the blade toward the upper end ofthe signature and when the pin 93 rides into the cam slot 91 of theplate 95, it will cause the rod 07 to be projected inwardly to shift theplate 7 8 laterally as previously described. This will spread apart theblade sections carried respectively by the disk 73 and the plate 78resulting in the opening up of the receiving signature, as illustratedin Fig. 15. lVhile these parts are assun'iing this condition, the cams107 lifts the arms 108 to engage the pin wheels 111 with the lowermostsignature in magazine l3, initiating the feed of this signatureto thefeed rollers 130 and 131 which drop the signature into the one reposingin open condition in the assembling pocket. l/Yhen the enteringsignature is fully within the receiving signature the cams 165 swing theinner ends of the fingers 155 toward each other to straighten or justifythe two signatures, and after this has been done the cam 39 swings thelever 35 to rock, by reason of its previously described connectionstherewith through the link 34 and arm 32, the shaft 131 that carries thedoor 30, opening the door and allowing the assembled signatures to dropupon the conveyor belt or apron 180. By the time this has occurred thecams 97 have withdrawn from the cam engaging parts of the wall 23,allowing the springs 26 to retract the wall and open the assemblingpocket for the neat signature. Also, the cam 51 has completed itsrotation allowing the lever 85 to drop back to normal position'and thecarriage 60 to be propelled to the outer end of the track by a weight185 that is attached to the carriage by a cable 186 that is guided overthe sheave 46, as shown in Figs. 2, 5, 7 and 8.

In order to insert (or stuff as it is ordinarily termed) severalsignatures within an other by means of the machine above described, itwould be necessary to take the assembled signatures from the conveyorbelt or apron and place them in magazine B so that they, in turn, couldbe inserted into signatures placed within the magazine A. To avoid sucha repetition of work, where it is desired to insert several signatureswithin another, I may modify the machine in the manner illustrated inFig. 17 where pockets B, B and B are provided for the enteringsignatures, the receiving signatures being placed, asbefore, in magazineA. In all other respects this latter form of the invention may beidentical with that already described, the mechanisms for initiating thefeeding of the signatures from the pockets B and B being duplicates ofthe mechanisms occurring therebelow, the driven parts of the uppermechanisms being actuated through suitable connections, as by chainsindicated at 190, from the corresponding parts of the lower mechanisms.Also, the feed rollers 130 and 131 may be duplicated as indicated at 130and 131. The cams on the shafts which lift/the pin wheels are so timedthat the signatures drop into assembling pocket at proper intervals inthe op oration of the machine, those from pockets B, B and B preferablyreaching the assembling pocketat the same time.

Attention is particularly called to the na ture of the pin wheels 111andlll, a detail of one of these wheels being shown in Fig. 12 (Sheet Itwill be observed that the pins 195 are set within the hub 196 tangentthereto and that their points are advanced in the direction of rotationof the wheel. It is found, through experiments, that this arrangement issuperior toradial pins because the tangential pins enter the paper andtend to draw it down against the bottom plate and away from the loweredge of the vertical wall of the magazine avoiding the possibility ofthe latter wall interfering with the feeding of the signature; and tothe same end it is essential that the pin wheels be spaced as the aresomewhat rearwardly of the folded edge of the signature where thesignature engages the vertical wall. It is found, also, that by thisangular disposition of the pins the paper is injured to no appreciableextent, the feed rollers 130 and 131 acting to withdraw the signaturesfrom the pins.

A feature of importance is the manner of engaging the pin wheels 111 and111*" with the paper. The direction in which the pin wheels rotatecombined with the arcuate course through which they are traveling whenpresented to the paper has the effect of slowing down the orbital speedof the pin points at the instant they are engaged with the paper whichcauses them to gently penetrate the paper to a depth sutiicientto takean effective hold on it without danger of tearing the same.

Attention is recalled to the adjustability of the guide plates 14.6which position the spreader blade with respect to the assembling pocket.These should be shifted for signatures of different thicknesses so asalways to guide the blade 76 into the center of the signature. This,however, is but one of two very obvious ways in which the spreader blademay be adjusted with respect to the signature support. The other is tomake the walls 22 and 23 adjustable transversely of the direction oftravel of the blade. The essential thing is to provide relativeadjustability of the signature supporting means and the spreading means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of asignature support, a second signature support, an assembling pocket,mechanism for feeding signatures from said supports to the pocket,spreading means adapted to be inserted into a signature fed from thefirst support and deposited in the assembling pocket, means foroperating said spreading means to spread said signature after insertiontherein, and driving mechanism for operating the feed ing mechanism andthe spreading means in a given sequence whereby a signature is depositedin the assembling pocket and spread and a second signature is insertedtherein.

2. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of asignature support, a second signature support, an assembling pocket, adischarge device for effecting removal of signatures from the assemblingpocket, mechanism for feeding signatures from said supports to thepocket, a composite blade adapted to be insertedinto a signature fedfrom the first support and deposited in the assembling pocket, means foroperating said blade to spread said signature after insertion therein,and driving mechanism for operating the feeding mechanisms the compositeblade, and the discharge do vice in a given sequence whereby a signatureis deposited in the assembling pocket and spread and a second signatureis inserted into the frat signature and the signatures are dischargedfrom the pocket.

In a machine of the character set forth, incombination, elementsdefining a course of travel of signatures through the machine, means forarresting a signature in its passage through the machine, means adaptedto be inserted into said signature and then actuated to spread saidsignature so that one or more following signatures may be depositedtherein, and mechanism for actuating the arresting means and spreadingmeans intermittently and in a given order.

i. In a machine of the character set forth, in combination, opposedelements defining an assembling space, members projecting into the spaceat the opposite ends thereof, means for depositing a signature withinsaid space and between said members, and a plurality of elements adaptedto be collapsed and inserted into said signature, means for actuatingsaid elements to spread said signature, means for depositing a signaturewithin the spread signature, mechanism for moving the aforesaid memberstoward each other thereby to justify the receiving and insertedsignatures, and means effecting a discharge of the assembled signaturesfrom the aforesaid space.

5. In a machine of the character set forth. in combination, opposedelements defining an assembling space and relatively movable toward andfrom each other, acomposite blade arranged to be inserted within saidspace, said blade comprising a plurality of sections aligned normally ina common plane but shiftable laterally with respect to each other, meansfor depositing a signature within the assembling space. means effectinga relative movement of said elements thereby to contract the assemblingspace and support the signature in an upright position therewithin,mechanism for advancing the lade into the fold of the signature whilethus supported, means for effecting a lateral relative movement betweenthe sections of the blade thereby to spread the signature, means forfeeding one or more signatures into the spread signature, and means foreffecting the discharge of said signatures from the assembling space.

(5. In a macnine of the character set forth, in combination, means forsupporting a folded signature in a vertical position with its folddownward, a spreading device arranged to be inserted within the fold ofthe signature, said spreading means comprising members normally lyingclose together and capable of being shifted laterally with respect toeach other therebv to spread the signature, mechanism for inserting thespreading means and subsequenlv shifting its members laterally withrespect to each other, and means for depositing a signature within thespread signature.

7. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of asignature supporting means, an assembly poclret, means for feeding asignature from the supporting means to the pocket, a guide extendinglaterally from the receiving pocket, a carriage reciprocable along saidguide, a composite spreader blade pivotally supported by the carriageand adapted when the carriage is moved toward the pocket to insert theblade within the signature supported in the pocket adjacent the foldededge thereof, means acting to swing the blade on its pivot toward theopen side of the signature, the blade comprising parts that are normallyclose together but capable of being shifted laterally with respect toeach other, means for so shifting the sections of the blade thereby toopen the signature, means for feeding one or more signatures from thesupporting means into the open signature, and means for effecting theremoval of the assembled signatures from the pocket.

8. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of means forsupporting signatures, a vertically disposed receiving pocket, means forfeeding a signature from the supporting means to the pocket with itsfolded edge downward, a guide disposed laterally of the receivingpocket, a carriage reciprocable along said guide, a member supported bythe carriage for oscillation, a second member mounted to oscillate inunison with the first member but shiftable laterally with respectthereto. a composite spreader blade made up of sections carriedrespectively by said members and reposing close together when themembers are in like position, the blade being adapted to'be inse tedinto the fold of a signature within the pocket when the carriage isadvanced toward the pocket, means for so advancing the carriage, a stopfixed with respect to the aforesaid guide, the iirst of the beforementioned members having a portion arranged to engage the stop therebyto oscillate said members as the carriage approaches the pocket and liftthe blade to a position adjacent the open side of the signature, a camfixed with respect to the guide and serving through operative connectiontherewith to shift the second member laterally with respect to thefirst, thereby to spread the sections of the blade and open thesignature, means for feeding one or more signatures from the supportingmeans into the open signature, and means for effecting the discharge ofthe assembled signatures from the pocket.

9. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of signaturesupporting means, elements defining an assembling space, means forfeeding a signature from the supporting means to the assembling space, atrack extending laterally from the assembling space, a carriagereciprocable along the track, a hollow rock shaft journaled in thecarriage, amember fixed to the rock shaft, a second member slidablysupported on the rock shaft adjacent the first member, means maintainingthe two members in the same angular position with respect to the shaft,a spreader blade comprising sections that are carried respectively bysaid members and reposing close to each other when the sections are inlike relation, means tending to retain the carriage at the outer end ofthe track, means for advancing the carriage toward the assembling spacethereby to insert the blade into a signature within said space adjacentthe folded edges of the signature, at stop supported adjacent the innerend of the track, means operatively connected to the first mentionedmember and adapted to engage said stop thereby to oscillate said memberas the carriage approaches the assembling space, a cam adjacent theinner end of the track, a device having operative connection with thesecond member and arranged to engage the cam as the carriage reaches theinner end of the track thereby to shift the second member laterally withrespect to the first so as to move the blade sections apart and open thesignature that is within the assei'nbling space, means for feeding oneor more signatures from the supporting means into the open signature andmeans'for effecting the discharge of the assembled signatures from theassembling space.

10. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of asignature support, signature stutiing mechanism, means for feedingsignatures from said support to the st-uiiing mechanism comprising ashaft supported beneath and adjacent the signature support so that itmay be moved toward and from the same, means for constantly rotating theshaft, pin wheels carried by the shaft, said wheels having barbsarranged tangentially with respect to the axis of the wheels, the pointsof the barbs being in advance of their bases with respect to thedirection of rotation, and means for intermittently moving the shaftthereby to engage the pin wheels with the lowermost signature on thesupport.

' 11. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination ofsignature stutiing means, a support for signatures. means for positivelyfeeding signatures from the support to the stuffing means, further meansfor initiating the feed of the signatures from the support to the firstmentioned feeding means, the second mentioned feeding means comprising ashaft supported adjacent to and below the signature support and mo abletoward and from the same, pin wheels carried by the shaft, the barbs ofthe pin wheels being tangentially arranged with respect to the axes ofthe wheels and having their points in advance of their bases withrespect to the direction of rotation, means for rotating the shaft, andmeans for intermittently moving the shaft toward the support so as toengage the pinwheels with the lowermost signature on the support.

12. In a .machine of the character set forth, the combination of aninclined signature supporting plate, asubstantially vertical abutmentwherewith the edges of signatures on the plate may engage, a shaftadjacent to and beneath the inclined plate in the vicinity of the loweredge of the abutment, the plate and abutment being spaced apart topermit of the passage of a signa ture therebetween, a second shaft,links pivoted to the second shaft and wherein the first shaft isjournaled, driving connections be tween the two shafts, means forcontinually driving the second shaft, a third shaft, cams enthe thirdshaft whereon the aforesaid links rest, means for driving the thirdshaft, feeding wheels carried by the first shaft and adapted to engagethe lowermost signature on the supporting plate when said links areraised by the cams, and signature stufi ing mechanism to which thesignatures are fed from the supporting plate.

13. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of aninclined signa ture supporting plate, a substantially vertical abutmentwherewith the edges of signatures on the plate may engage, a shaftadjacent to and beneath the inclined plate in the vicinity of the loweredge of the abutment, the plate and abutment being spaced apart topermit of the passage of a signature therebetween, I a second shaft,links pivoted to the second shaft and where- ?n the first shaft isjournaled, driving connections between the two shafts, means forcontinually driving the second shaft, a third shaft, cams on the thirdshaft cooperating with the links to raise them when the cams arerotated, means for driving the third shaft, feeding wheels carried bythe first shaft and adapted to engage the lowermost signature on thesupporting plate when said links are raised by the cams, and signaturestufiing mechanism to which the signatures are fed from the supportingolate.

14. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of anassembling pocket, means for feeding a signature thereto, the assemblingpocket comprising a fixed wall and a wall movable toward and from thefixed wall, means tending to move the second mentioned wall away fromthe first, means for positively advancing the movable wall toward thefixed wall, a shoe yieldingly supported by the movable wall, the wallswhen contracted serving to support the sig nature in an upright positionwhile the aforesaid shoe imparts to the folded edge of the signature adefinite position within the pocket, spreading means movable into thefold of the si nature, a guide for definitely locating the spreadingmeans with respect to the position of the signature with in the pocket,means for moving the spread ing means toward the open side of thesignature, further means for actuating the spreading means to open thesignature, means for feeding one or more signatures into the opensignature, and means effecting a discharge of the assembled signaturesfrom the pocket.

15. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of anassembling pocket, means for feeding a signature thereto, the assemblingpocket comprising a fixed all and a wall movable toward and from thefixed wall, means tending to move the second mentioned wall away fromthe first, means for positively advancing the movable wall toward thefixed wall, a shoe yfeldingly supported by the movable wall, the wallswhen contracted serving to sup port the signature in an upright positionwhile the aforesaid shoe imparts to the folded edge of the signature adefinite position within the pocket, spreading means movable into thefold of the signature, a guide for definitely locating the spreadingmeans with respect to the position of the signature within the pocket,said guide being adjustable laterally with respect to the assemblingpocket, means for moving the spreading means toward the open side of thesignature, further means for actuating the spreading means to open thesignature, means for feeding one or more s gnatures into the opensignature and means effecting a discharge of the assembled signaturesfrom the pocket.

16. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of opposedsignature supporting plates converging downwardly and terminating invertically disposed guides that are spaced laterally with respect toeach other, an abutment situated between said plates so as to constitutetherewith magazines for signatures, the lower edge of the abutment beingspaced from the plates so as to permit the passage of signatures betweenthe abutment and plates, an assem- Hit) bling pocket situated below theguides,

means for positively feeding signatures through the guides, pin wheelssituated below each of the plates and movable toward and from the samefor initiating the feeding of the lowermost s gnaturefrom each platetoward the pocket, means for elevating the pin wheels of the respectiveplates alternately whereby signatures are fed first from one end thenthe other of the magazines, means for spreading certain signaturesdeposited within the assembling pocket whereby others following will beinserted into them, and means for intermittently discharging signaturesfrom the assembling pocket. 1 t

'17. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a pairof signature supports, an assembling pocket, means for sustaining asignature in the assembly pocket, means adapted to project a spreadingdevice into a signature sustained within'the pocket, means for actuatingsaid de vice to spread said signature, means for feeding signatures fromthe supports to the pocket, and mechanism for operating alternately thefeeding means associated with the respective supports and forintermittently actuating the spreading means and sustaining means in agiven sequence thereto.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

JOSEPH C. THEBERATH.

